lithium ion battery requirements

[timebombprod]

what are the requirements to safely run a lithium ion battery on one of these older GS? i have done the sh775 conversion aswell as having a ricks stator but thats really it for the electrical side other than my ignition system,

ive seen that the weight of the battery can be as much as 75% less if not possibly more? seeing as im going for this weight saving route i could see a big difference from changing the battery, ive already managed to remove 15 pounds excluding the exhaust being changed and i could see another 10 pounds lost strictly from changing the battery which just sounds like a obvious thing to do aslong as the battery would be happy being on the bike.

 

[salty_monk]

The charging voltage is more critical but if you have a SH775 it will be fine. I like Antigravity batteries..... They are on sale at the moment.

 

[salty_monk]

https://antigravitybatteries.com/

 

[timebombprod]

okay sweet, how would i be able to know the correct size without my option being on there?

 

[salty_monk]

Use the YUASA number & find Antigravities equivalent. It's going to be smaller & need packing out anyway....

 

[timebombprod]

YTX14AHL-BS is my yuasa number, theres atx 12 and 20, im guessing the 12 would be the one, ill have to do more reasearch for the battery reviews of different brand lithium ion, it is a bit pricy no doubt but its such a great amount of weight savings percentage wise from the original battery to a lithium.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

Just installed a Lithium battery in the Sportster. Part of me had known they were lighter, but when I picked up the box for the new battery, having just set the old AGM battery down on the counter, I actually had to look inside to make sure there was a battery there.

 

[rphillips]

From earlier posts, I's wondering, Pilot, was it lighter because it was smaller, or was it the same size & just made out of lighter material.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

From earlier posts, I's wondering, Pilot, was it lighter because it was smaller, or was it the same size & just made out of lighter material.

It's the exact factory size, slotted right in!

 

[Rob S.]

Fireproof pajamas.

 

[salty_monk]

From earlier posts, I's wondering, Pilot, was it lighter because it was smaller, or was it the same size & just made out of lighter material.

Could be just lighter materials but more likely to be both. Most Lithium batteries ship with packing to take up the rest of the space the battery doesn't fill.....

 

[rphillips]

He said his was the exact size. Possibly can be either way.

 

[Rob S.]

I was under the impression they were 1/5 the size of traditional or AGM, permitting them to be mounted in all manner of novel places.

 

[timebombprod]

actually this is something i was wondering, can i switch to a smaller battery for the lithium ion one? i feel like with my airbox modification im doing i might be better off having a smaller battery for relocating, and its cheaper lol.

 

[Gorminrider]

You need the same "CCA" (Cold Cranking Amps)whatever the dimensions are. Or, you will not get to "crank" as long or strong.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

The one I installed has 60 more CCA than the AGM it replaced.

 

[Greg B]

I installed a physically smaller Shorai battery in the 1150. No other changes to the charging system.
I had to go with a smaller battery because changing the swingarm to a braced calfab arm from a GS 750 changed the upper travel of the linkage such that it would have smacked the original battery box.

 

[salty_monk]

Lithium are always rated as an equivalent - that's because the discharge is different.
A lithium will output nearly full voltage until it's very flat (and then go totally dead). An AGM or lead acid will taper off more slowly so you can't use the full capacity of the battery (as the voltage is too low even though that there is lots of raw energy still in the battery).

You do need at least the same CCA as the original battery (most AGM are rated higher CCA than the original lead acid too). More is fine. You will likely find the smaller one will work (people have used very small batteries on GS customs) but you need to make sure that there is adequate reserve (these bikes do not really charge at idle although with the stator with the extra winds on it from Elektrek they do).